A Bride's Guide to Marriage and Murder

Written by Dianne Freeman

Narrated by Sarah Zimmerman

“Pure unadulterated fun” (Publishers Weekly) for fans of Ashley Weaver,
Deanna Raybourn, and Tasha Alexander, the Agatha Award–winning Countess
of Harleigh Mysteries are a witty romp through the high society of Victorian
England with a touch of romance, an independent female lead, and rich
historical detail. In this charming historical mystery, Frances Wynn, the
American-born Countess of Harleigh, finds her wedding day overshadowed by
murder …
On the eve of her marriage to George Hazelton, Frances has a great deal more on
her mind than flowers and seating arrangements. The Connors and the
Bainbridges, two families of American robber barons, have taken up residence in
London, and their bitter rivalry is spilling over into the highest social circles. At the
request of her brother, Alonzo, who is quite taken with Miss Madeline Connor,
Frances has invited the Connor family to her wedding. Meanwhile, Frances’s
mother has invited Mr. Bainbridge, and Frances fears the nuptials may end up
being newspaper-worthy for all the wrong reasons.
On the day itself, Frances is relieved that Madeline’s father is not among the
guests at the church. The reason, however, is most unfortunate: Mr. Connor is
found murdered in his home. More shocking still, Alonzo is caught at the scene—
holding the murder weapon.
Powerful and ruthless, Connor appears to have amassed a wealth of enemies.
Frances and George put their wedding trip on hold to try and clear Alonzo’s name.
But there are secrets to sift through, not just in the feuding families, but also in
their own. With a killer determined to evade discovery—even if it means taking
another life—Frances’s newlywed days will be perilous indeed …

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781705052921

Dianne Freeman

Dianne Freeman is the acclaimed author of the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series. Her debut novel, A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder, won both an Agatha Award and a Lefty Award and was nominated for the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award from Mystery Writers of America. She spent thirty years working in corporate accounting and finance and now writes full-time. Born and raised in Michigan, she and her husband split their time between Michigan and Arizona. Visit her at www.DiFreeman.com.

Reviews for A Bride's Guide to Marriage and Murder

[cyderry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Frances, the Countess of Harleigh, has finally arrived at her wedding day where she and George Hazelton will tie the knot. Getting to this day wasn't easy since her mother has been in residence for 4 months and is constantly finding fault and making changes to the arrangements and guest list including adding a couple that is feuding with other guests. So it's not that surprising that at the wedding luncheon a body turns up. What is a problem is that Frances' brother, Alonzo, has been arrested for the murder. George takes up the gauntlet to represent Alonzo putting their honeymoon on hold.The twists and turns and red herrings were strewn throughout giving the reader a chance to figure out why and who while at the same time cheering for the newlyweds.

[kathy89_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Frances and George's wedding day has arrived but of course there is a murder and the main suspect is Frances' brother Alonzo. He is quite enamoured of Madeline Connor who according to her father is promised to Duke Fitzwater. Frances and George postpone their honeymoon to clear Alonzo of Made line's father murder. When Fitzwater's father is murdered the suspect widens. Plenty of family drama and hardly anytime for the newlyweds to be alone. Looking forward to the next installment.

[katebaxter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As the Lady Harleigh mysteries continue in this fifth book in series, we find Frances' putting on the finishing touches for her impending nuptials. Her brother Alonzo has become rather smitten with Madeline Connor, an American robber baron's daughter, and has requested that she and her family be added to the guest list. What's a few more mouths to feed among friends? Furthermore, Frances' mother has invited her American robber baron friend, Bainbridge to the wedding festivities as well. Sadly, both Bainbridge and Mr. Connor are in a bitter rivalry as they are vying for ownership of the same project. Fur is definitely going to fly. That is, until the first body winds up dead a stone's throw from the wedding reception and Alonzo's being held on murder charges. So much for a much deserved wedding trip to Cannes for George and Frances. There'll be no peace until the true culprit is found and our happy duo are on it.Ms. Freeman has again spun a wonderful tale, poking fun at the social mores of British aristocratic behavior and ambitious deep-pocketed Americans. The suspects pile up quickly providing the reader with lots of red herrings. The character development is good throughout and the mise-en-scène effectively carries the reader to the posh London neighborhoods of a hundred years ago. Well done, Ms. Freeman!